Zant v. Stephens

462 U.S. 862 · Decided June 22, 1983 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Zant v. Stephens was decided on June 22, 1983 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty” in the Criminal Procedure area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Zant, Warden v. Stephens

SCDB identifiers: case 1982-128, docket 1982-128-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Cruel and unusual punishment, death penalty”

• Barefoot v. Estelle
  463 U.S. 880Decided July 6, 19836–3Byron R. White
• Barclay v. Florida
  463 U.S. 939Decided July 6, 19836–3William H. Rehnquist
• California v. Ramos
  463 U.S. 992Decided July 6, 19835–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Autry v. Estelle
  464 U.S. 1Decided October 3, 19835–4Per curiam
• Maggio v. Williams
  464 U.S. 46Decided November 7, 19836–3Per curiam
• Wainwright v. Goode
  464 U.S. 78Decided November 28, 19837–2Per curiam

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)

• Solem v. Helm
  463 U.S. 277Decided June 28, 19835–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Hutto v. Davis
  454 U.S. 370Decided January 11, 19826–3Per curiam
• Rhodes v. Chapman
  452 U.S. 337Decided June 15, 19818–1Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Whitley v. Albers
  475 U.S. 312Decided March 4, 19865–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Rummel v. Estelle
  445 U.S. 263Decided March 18, 19805–4William H. Rehnquist
• California v. Brown
  479 U.S. 538Decided January 27, 19875–4William H. Rehnquist

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

• Anderson v. Harless
  459 U.S. 4Decided November 1, 19826–3Per curiam
• Wyrick v. Fields
  459 U.S. 42Decided November 29, 19828–1Per curiam
• Pillsbury Co. v. Conboy
  459 U.S. 248Decided January 11, 19837–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Missouri v. Hunter
  459 U.S. 359Decided January 19, 19837–2Warren E. Burger
• Marshall v. Lonberger
  459 U.S. 422Decided February 22, 19835–4William H. Rehnquist
• South Dakota v. Neville
  459 U.S. 553Decided February 22, 19837–2Sandra Day O'Connor

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error